Isoparaffin:olefin alkylation process employing Lewis-acid promoted pillared layered silicate

Abstract

A process is provided for alkylating an isoparaffin with an olefin comprising effecting reaction of isoparaffin and olefin in the presence of an alkylation catalyst complex comprising a Lewis acid and a solid component, said solid component comprising a layered silicate and pillars of an oxide of at least one element selected from Groups IB, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, IVA, IVB, VA, VB, VIA, VIIA and VIIIA of the Periodic Table of the Elements separating the layers of the silicate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for alkylating an isoparaffin with an olefin comprising effecting reaction of isoparaffin and olefin in the presence of an alkylation catalyst complex comprising a Lewis acid-promoted solid component said solid component comprising a layered silicate and pillars of an oxide of at least one element selected from Groups IB, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, IVA, IVB, VA, VB, VIA, VIIA and VIIIA of the Periodic Table of the Elements separating the layers of the silicate. 
     
     
       2. The process of claim 1 wherein the isoparaffin contains from 4 to 6 carbon atoms and the olefins contains from 2 to 6 carbon atoms. 
     
     
       3. The process of claim 1 wherein the Lewis acid is selected from the group consisting of BF 3 , SbF 5  and AlCl 3 . 
     
     
       4. The process of claim 1 wherein the pillars comprise polymeric silica. 
     
     
       5. The process of claim 1 wherein said layered silicate is selected from the group consisting of magadiite, natrosilite, kenyaite, makatite, nekoite, kenemite, okenite, dehayelite, macdonaldite, and rhodesite. 
     
     
       6. The process of claim 5 wherein said layered silicated is kenyaite. 
     
     
       7. The process of claim 1 wherein the molar ratio of the isoparaffin to the olefin is from about 5:1 to about 50:1. 
     
     
       8. The process of claim 1 wherein the isoparaffin is isobutane and the olefin feed is a mixture of propylene and butenes. 
     
     
       9. The process of claim 1 wherein water and/or water-producing material is preintroduced into the catalyst complex. 
     
     
       10. The process of claim 9 wherein the amount of water preintroduced into the catalyst complex ranges from about 0.25 to about 25 percent by weight of the catalyst complex. 
     
     
       11. The process of claim 9 wherein the amount of water preintroduced into the catalyst complex ranges from about 1.0 to about 10 percent by weight of the catalyst complex. 
     
     
       12. The process of claim 1 wherein water and/or water-producing material is cofed with the reactants. 
     
     
       13. The process of claim 11 wherein the amount of water ranges from about 0.1 ppmw to about 1 weight percent based upon the total hydrocarbon feed rate.